What causes fault code PAL-SQUARING1 (Palletizer Layer Squaring — Misaligned Layer)?

Squaring plate cylinder not extending fully — low air pressure or cylinder seal failure. Squaring plate guide rail bent — physical damage from product impact. Squaring plate sensor not confirming plate position — proximity sensor gap too large. Products in the layer too tightly packed — squaring plates can't compress the layer further. Layer forming produced a loose layer — products have gaps that squaring can't correct

How do I fix fault code PAL-SQUARING1?

Check squaring plate cylinder operation — manually trigger from PLC override. Verify air pressure at the squaring cylinders — typically 40-60 PSI. Inspect squaring plates for physical damage — straighten or replace bent plates. Check squaring plate position sensors — adjust gap to 2-3mm from target. Verify layer dimensions match the squaring plate travel — layer must fit within the squaring envelope. If layer is loose, address the layer forming issue upstream — squaring plates can correct small misalignment, not large gaps

Palletizer Layer Squaring — Misaligned Layer

PAL-SQUARING1

Layer squaring plates or guides did not square the layer to the pallet footprint. Layer is skewed or offset on the pallet, risking instability of the pallet stack.

medium palletizer

palletizer squaring layer alignment plate cylinder

Probable Causes (ranked)

Squaring plate cylinder not extending fully — low air pressure or cylinder seal failure
Squaring plate guide rail bent — physical damage from product impact
Squaring plate sensor not confirming plate position — proximity sensor gap too large
Products in the layer too tightly packed — squaring plates can't compress the layer further
Layer forming produced a loose layer — products have gaps that squaring can't correct

Fix Steps

1 Check squaring plate cylinder operation — manually trigger from PLC override
2 Verify air pressure at the squaring cylinders — typically 40-60 PSI
3 Inspect squaring plates for physical damage — straighten or replace bent plates
4 Check squaring plate position sensors — adjust gap to 2-3mm from target
5 Verify layer dimensions match the squaring plate travel — layer must fit within the squaring envelope
6 If layer is loose, address the layer forming issue upstream — squaring plates can correct small misalignment, not large gaps

Field Trick

If layers are consistently skewed in the same direction, one squaring plate is probably hitting its stroke limit before contacting the product. Increase that plate's cylinder stroke by adjusting the stop collar, or move the layer drop point slightly so the layer lands closer to center.

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